What Seems To Be
by ActressForLife
Summary: Cobb and Arthur go on a rather simple job and Eames decides to sneak in and liven it up a bit. Featuring Arthur/Lady!Eames. Rated M for some het smut and language. 2950 words.


**A/N: This fic features some het smut. And Lady!Eames. So, if neither of those are your thing, kindly press the back button on your browser.  
This is my first time writing any sort of smut and I have very little experience, so apologies if it's terrible.  
This fic is dedicated to my lovely friend Holly who gave me the prompt "Arthur is on a job when he meets a strangely familiar woman (Eames in disguise) who tries to tell him that he's really in a dream…" Also dedicated to my lovely friend and beta Kay.  
Disclaimer: I don't own Inception. That is the property of the amazing Christopher Nolan.  
Enjoy! **

What Seems To Be

"It should be a relatively quick job. In and out with no real problems. But we're going to put some extra time on the clock just in case we need it." Cobb said to Arthur, receiving a curt nod in return. He had all but jumped at the chance to do another job when Cobb called him up. Keeping a low profile in the business after the Inception job had been difficult. Arthur didn't like having "free time" for too long; it made him go a little stir crazy. In the past several weeks he had reorganized and deep-cleaned his entire apartment…twice. "And if we don't need the extra time, well...sitting around in a dream won't be the worst work we've ever done. Assuming they haven't hired security that we don't know about." Cobb continued, only half joking.  
Arthur shot him a glare and opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by Ariadne. "Oh, lay off him Dom. You know that was a mistake and everyone made it out okay anyway."  
"Well it's still his job-"  
"Hush!" Arthur ignored their little argument and started checking all the equipment again, even though he already knew everything was perfect. Like Cobb had said, it was going to be a simple job. They would be posing as businessmen at a technology conference in order to attend a private meeting with George Attwood, the head of medium-sized technology firm. Their employers wanted to know the details about new smartphone technology that his company was working on. They were even going to go under with the mark within their own warehouse. Their employers assured the team (which only consisted of Ariadne, Cobb, and Arthur this time around) that they would take care of drugging and transporting the mark to and from the warehouse with no trouble.  
Arthur went through the plan in his head one last time. He, Cobb, and Attwood were going to go under within Arthur's mind. Ariadne was going to stay in reality and make sure nothing went wrong. Meanwhile, Cobb and Arthur would be in a small conference room with Attwood, posing as possible investors in his company and obtaining the information that they needed about the technology. Though the job should only take an hour, they had about two and half on the clock. But if something went wrong, which Arthur doubted, they would have the extra time they would need to complete the job.  
Cobb's phone rang and he flicked it open. He listened for a moment and then nodded at Arthur. "Yes. We're ready. Bring him in." Five minutes later the three dreamers were all set up on lawn chairs and getting hooked up to the PASIV.  
"You be careful down there." Ariadne whispered to Arthur.  
He smiled at her and nodded "Nothing I should have to worry about beyond sheer boredom."  
"Sweet dreams." She said, grinning at him as she depressed the button in the middle of the PASIV. Arthur let his eyes drift closed.  
When he opened them again he found himself in the lobby of a large, high-end hotel. Cobb was standing to his left studying a piece of paper. "Room 142. Are you ready for this?"  
Arthur glanced down and smiled slightly. His suit was impeccable. "Always am, aren't I?" he asked.  
Cobb grinned a little as they slid into their easy camaraderie that always appeared while on a job. "Alright then. Let's get this done." He said and strode off in the direction of their conference room, Arthur following close behind him.

-x-

Ariadne heard the door of the warehouse open and glanced up curiously. The men that their employers hired were all sitting in a corner of the room, playing cards to pass the time. She smiled when she saw Eames walking towards her. "What are you doing here Eames? Not that I'm not glad to see you." She hopped up and threw her arms around the man. "Though…that shirt is nothing short of atrocious."  
"I happen to _like_ paisley, love, thank you very much. Now, I need you to do me a favor." He said, smiling at her.  
"What is it?" she said, motioning towards a chair and sitting down to face him. Eames began talking very quickly and Ariadne's smile grew wider the more he said to her.

-x-

Fifty-five minutes later, the meeting broke up for "lunch". They didn't have all the information they needed. Attwood wasn't trusting Arthur's presence at the meeting and it was extremely obvious why.

"Shall we meet back here in say, half an hour Mr. Attwood?" Cobb asked.

"I suppose so." The man said, shooting a disgusted glance at Arthur.  
The men parted ways and as soon as they were out of earshot Arthur hissed "What is his problem?" and tried extremely hard not to punch a wall.  
"I have no idea…" Cobb said, slowly. "But we need this job and…" he trailed off, not wanting to piss off Arthur any more.  
"And if he won't give up the information with me in the room, I shouldn't be there. I get it. I just don't fucking understand how they _know_."  
"Arthur it's not your fault. Some people are just like that, sad to say." Cobb said, trying to console Arthur.  
"Whatever you say Cobb." Arthur said, glowering at the wall. "I need a drink. I'll see you up top."  
"Right…" Cobb said quietly, watching Arthur stalk off. He sighed and wondered how some people could be so discriminatory. "God damn homophobes…" he muttered.

-x-

Ariadne was grinning like a fool as she hooked Eames up to the PASIV. "Dom is gonna be so pissed at me if he finds out about this." She said, giggling.  
"Don't worry love. He won't find out. You're going to wake me up before Dom and the stick in the mud wake up and I'll be on my merry way." Eames said, positively giddy that Ariadne was going along with this. "Besides, they're sure to be done with the job by now and looking for some way to amuse themselves. I'm just going to…help them out with that."  
"Right, right. I'm not putting the job in jeopardy by doing this. It's fine." She was having a hard time containing her glee at this whole situation. Glancing over her shoulder to make sure the group of guards were still playing cards, she slid the needle into Eames arms and watched him drift into the dream.

-x-

"Fucking homophobes and their fucking refusal to deal with people who may or may not like men as well as women." Arthur muttered darkly as he entered the hotel bar. He threw himself onto a stool. "Whiskey. Straight." He said to the man working at the bar. Drinking too much when he got pissed off was a bad habit of Arthur's but he didn't care. He knocked back the glass of whiskey and asked for another.  
Fifteen minutes later he had moved to a booth in the corner of the room and had slowed his drinking a little. "Mind if I join you?" a female voice asked. He glanced up and saw an absolutely stunning woman. Dressed to her body type without looking trashy. Long brown wavy hair. Gorgeous deep brown eyes. And an accent to boot. Exactly his type.  
He thought for a moment, weighing whether or not it was a bad idea to do this in a dream. Then he decided he didn't care. "But of course," he replied, smiling and gesturing at the seat across from him. "I'm Arthur."  
"Holly," she said, smiling as she slid into the booth. "I have a question for you...it may seem a little odd."

Arthur raised an eyebrow at her. "Oh? Do tell."

"Do you...do you remember how you got here?" she asked.

Arthur froze. "Excuse me?" he said quietly, staring at the glass in his hand. _Oh fuck. Does Attwood have security down here after all?_

"Oh, I knew I was going to sound stupid. I just...I don't quite remember how I got here and...oh forget it. I'll let you be." she stood up and turned to go.

"No! No, you don't sound stupid. Stay, please." He wasn't entirely sure who this woman was, but he did know that he felt as though keeping her around would improve his mood.

Holly allowed a huge smile to cross her face before composing herself and turning back to Arthur. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, of course. It _does_ sound a little crazy but...well...I like you. Wouldn't want to send you out into the world when you don't remember how you got here." He smiled even though his heart was going a mile a minute. _Fuck. I really hope she isn't some underhanded type of security or I'm so screwed._ She slid back into her seat and Arthur changed the subject.

A few drinks later, it was obvious that they had sexual chemistry. Arthur glanced at his watch and saw that he had about an hour left in the dream. "In a hurry to get somewhere, Artie?" she asked.  
"Oh. I er…I have somewhere to be in about an hour, that's all. And…Artie? I haven't heard that since I was very young."  
"Mmm. Do you dislike it?"  
"From anyone else…perhaps. But I'm strangely alright with it coming from a lady as beautiful as you."  
She blushed and giggled. "You think I'm beautiful?" she asked. Arthur started as he felt a stockinged foot creep into his lap. "_Oh_. I see you aren't the only one who thinks that. Would you like to come up to my room?"  
Arthur gaped at her for a moment. _Should I even be doing this?_ he thought to himself. He was drunk, he was pissed, and he no longer cared. Throwing all ideas of job etiquette out the window he spoke. "I think I'd love that."

-x-

Cobb pinched the bridge of his nose and hoped that the dream would run out soon. He had gotten what he needed and was just sitting alone in the conference room now. He had gone into the hotel bar a few minutes earlier, but was unable to find Arthur anywhere. He resigned himself to passing the rest of the time in boredom.

-x-

Arthur has his hands on her hips as she unlocked the door to her room. Pushing her inside he shut the door and immediately had her up against the wall, his hands exploring every curve of her body, lips working furiously against hers. He felt her smile a split second before he felt the small hand on his chest, pushing him away. He looked down at her, confused for a moment when an impish smile broke over her face.  
"You're a brilliant kisser and all...but you said you have to be somewhere. Let's get on with it, shall we?" she said, batting her eyes at him coquettishly. Arthur grinned and raised an eyebrow.  
"Oh? Lead the way my dear lady." he said, gesturing dramatically towards the bed. Holly rolled her eyes and shoved him again, making sure he landed right on the edge of the bed. She pushed him back wards, straddling his hips and grinding into him. She reached down, grabbing his already prominent arousal and grinned down at him.  
Sliding down his body she freed him from the confines of his pants. "Oh _Artie_." she breathed. "You're full of all kinds of surprises aren't you?"  
Any response Arthur might have had was cut off by a groan as Holly engulfed him in her mouth. "Christ Holly...you...you're..._Christ!_" Arthur panted.  
A few minutes later she released him and attacked his mouth again with the same enthusiasm, taking small breaks to suck and nibble at his earlobes and neck. Arthur reached between her legs, feeling just how aroused she was. He grasped her hips and flipped her over so she was underneath him. "Shall I return the favor?" he smirked as he pushed her skirt up over her hips and tossed her underwear across the room.  
"Oh please do Artie. Please _do_." was the last coherent thing she got out before moans overtook her. Arthur kept right on surprising her and she squealed and shook as she came mere minutes later. Gasping for breath she saw Arthur stand and start to remove his slacks. "Oh no Artie. We don't have time for such frivolities as removing clothing." She stood and put her hands on the bed, wiggling her rear end end at Arthur. "Now...if you don't mind-" she was cut off by Arthur grabbing her hips and thrusting into her.  
His pants pooled around his knees, he leaned forward and whispered in her ear "How do you like that?"  
"I...love it, darling." she panted. "Don't stop."  
"Not...something I'm...planning on..." he gasped out as she tightened around him. What seemed like hours later, Arthur tensed. "I'm gonna-"  
"Inside me. Inside me!" Holly gasped out, teetering on the edge of orgasm herself. Moment later Arthur released and collapsed forward onto the bed, rolling to the side so he wouldn't land on her.  
They both panted, trying to regain their breath and thoughts. "That was...the best sex I have ever had." Arthur finally said.  
"Likewise Artie...likewise." Holly replied. She glanced at the clock and gasped. "Oh no! I'm going to be late for my meeting!" She ran into the bathroom to get herself cleaned up and darted back out to press a kiss to Arthur's lips. "I'm sorry to push you out like this but-"  
"No, no. Don't worry. I understand. Besides, I have somewhere to be as well." Arthur said, smiling. "I'll just let myself out."  
"It was simply _lovely_ meeting you Artie, darling." she said, kissing him again.  
"The same goes to you. This will be an encounter I won't soon forget." Holly smiled and closed the door behind him.

-x-

Eames let his eyes drift open. He sat up, grinning like a fool. "Mission accomplished?" Ariadne asked.  
"Mission accomplished, love." He stood and stretched, feeling very satisfied.  
Ariande glanced at the time on the PASIV. "Well, you better get out of here if you don't want to get caught."  
"You know, Ari, love...I think I'll stay right here. After all, what harm is there in keeping a dear friend company?" he asked, grinning mischievously.  
"What are you up to Mr. Eames?"  
"Oh...nothing...nothing at all pet."  
"Why don't I believe you?" she asked with a large grin on her face.  
"I haven't the slightest idea."  
As she opened her mouth to reply, Cobb and Arthur opened their eyes and sat up slowly. Cobb recovered immediately and motioned to the men playing cards. They packed up their game and walked over. "Get the information?" the head guard asked.  
"Of course we did." Cobb replied. "I'll be meeting with your boss as scheduled to relay the information." The guard nodded curtly and motioned for the other men to get Attwood out of the warehouse. The team watched them leave and Cobb turned to Arthur.  
"Where did you go? I tried to find you after I finished with Attwood, but you were just gone."  
"Oh, err...I just wandered around the hotel for a while..." Arthur replied, not looking Cobb in the eye. He glanced over and Eames for the first time since waking up. "Eames? What are you doing here?"  
"Just keeping our lovely young friend here some company darling." Eames said.  
"Right..." Arthur said, getting an odd feeling in his stomach and not really believing Eames. He turned away and started packing up the equipment.  
"Well, I need to go transcribe everything Attwood ended up telling me. I'll contact you in a couple of days to get you your money." Cobb said, gathering his jacket and heading towards the door. "Take care." he called over his shoulder.  
The three called various goodbyes to him and Ariadne left soon after with a cheerful wave and a broad smile.  
Arthur finished packing up the PASIV and was very concious of Eames' eyes following him around the work station. "Arthur?"  
"Yes Eames?" Arthur said, still not looking at the other man.  
"Any chance I could bum a ride off of you? I don't really want to shell out the money for another cab." He asked and Arthur could hear the smirk in his voice.  
He turned around and looked at the other man, considering telling him no. He heaved a sigh. "Fine. Let's go. But you get to help." He shoved the PASIV into Eames' hand and walked towards the door.  
The ride to Eames' hotel was mostly quiet. Arthur pulled up in front of the hotel and looked at Eames. "Thanks for the ride darling. We'll have to do this again sometime."  
Arthur raised an eyebrow and smirked a little. "Oh yes. Absolutely thrilling Eames."  
Eames clambered out of the car. He shut his door and tapped on the window.  
Arthur rolled down the window. "Yes?"  
"I'll see you soon, I'm sure. Ta-ta...Artie." With that final word Eames turned on his heel and disappeared into the hotel, leaving Arthur sitting stunned in his idling car.

**A/N: Review please? Hope you enjoyed.**


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